Saint Joseph Catholic Church

The Institute for the Works of Religion (IOR), colloquially known as the Vatican bank, announced yesterday that Cardinal Giuseppe Petrocchi, 76, has become president of the Commission of Cardinals that oversees it.

Cardinal Petrocchi succeeds Cardinal Christoph Schönborn, OP, who has led the commission for 12 years while concurrently serving until last year as archbishop of Vienna.

Cardinal Schönborn paid tribute to the late Pope Francis “for his valuable, constant and enlightened support during the long and demanding process of reform of the IOR.” Cardinal Schönborn also thanked Jean-Baptiste de Franssu, the IOR’s president, who “has led and overseen a far-reaching transformation of the Institute, which has gained wide recognition and esteem within the international financial community.”

Three bishops who chair committees of the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB) applauded the State Department’s expansion of the “Mexico City policy.”

The policy “historically limited certain federal funds from going to foreign non-governmental organizations that perform or promote abortion abroad,” the USCCB noted in a statement.

“We support robust funding for authentic lifesaving and life-affirming foreign assistance and applaud new policies that prevent taxpayer dollars from going to organizations that engage in ideological colonization and promote abortion or gender ideology overseas,” said the chairmen of the Committee on Laity, Marriage, Family Life and Youth; the Committee on Pro-Life Activities; and the Committee on International Justice and Peace.

“We also call for the implementation of any related policies to be carried out in a manner that recognizes the inherent dignity of every human person and does not harm those who are racially or ethnically marginalized,” they added.

Vandals attacked Holy Innocents School in Long Beach, California, desecrating the tabernacle and destroying statues and other objects.

“Statues of the Virgin Mary were smashed—hands and at least one head chopped off,” the Long Beach Post reported. “Prayer books were dumped from bookshelves and strewn across the floor. The tabernacle had been ripped from its chapel, its doors pried partially open.”

Bandits burned down a police station and part of a Methodist church in Agwara, a Nigerian city of 60,000. in Nigeria’s Niger State.

“The violence then spread to the surrounding areas,” the Vatican newspaper reported. “According to police sources, at least five people were kidnapped, but it is feared that the number may be much higher.”

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